PA is different from most other health professions in that to be competitive as an applicant it often requires a very large number of hours of paid healthcare experience.

But the question remains: How many hours of healthcare related experience do you need to give yourself a competitive advantage along with a broad range of application options in the shortest amount of time?

What do you think?

Healthcare Experience Requirements for PA School

Below is a table comparing the hours of healthcare experience required and type of healthcare experience requested by the majority of Physician Assistant Programs in the United States.

Here are some of the fields that are typically accepted by most programs:

Military Corpsman

EMT or paramedic

Combat Medic

Registered Nurse (RN), BSN, LPN

EEG or EKG technician

Emergency room technician

Physical therapy aide

Certified Nurse Aide (CNA)

Medical Assistant (MA)

Respiratory Therapist

Dietician

Phlebotomist

International healthcare based mission trips

Hospice

Medical Technologist

Licensed Practical Nurse

Dental Hygienist OR Technologist

X-Ray Technologist

Physical/Occupational Therapist

Medical Social Worker Mental

Health Care Counselor

Aide in Dialysis Unit

Optometry Assistant

Chiropractic Assistant

Here are some activities that are typically not accepted by most programs:

Taking care of a family member is not really clinical experience. You can mention it and talk about the clinical care you provided, but it's not really what PA schools are looking for. (Although you should take care of your family)

Observation of any kind (i.e., shadowing a physician or PA)

Conducting research

Helping in the health center at a summer camp

Medical records personnel or clerical worker in a medical office or hospital

Pharmacy technician/clerk

Training without employment (such as EMT/MICT, etc.)

Healthcare experience which is part of a healthcare training program (i.e., clinical rotations, field work, or internships)

Providing first aid as a coach, scout leader, etc

See more detailed list at the end of this post

Here are some activities that are highly variable:

Medical Scribe is one of those very gray areas in that it provides exposure but is not always hands on. Many schools accept it and many don't.

Working as a medical interpreter

Volunteering

Athletic trainer

"We strongly believe that HCE is a predictor of success because it readies the student for the clinical environment, introduces them to pathophysiology, and prepares them for the rigor of our program and the demands and high standard of our didactic and clinical years." - Professor Peterson, Case Western Reserve University

They sound like the same thing, but It's important that you understand the difference as you can only enter each experience once and schools may prefer one over the other.

Patient Care Experience (PCE): Experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc.

Healthcare Experience (HCE): Both paid and unpaid work in a health or health-related field where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, but may still have patient interaction; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms, administering food or medication, taking vitals or other record keeping information, working as a scribe, CNA (depending on job description), medical assistant, etc.

To make it simple, think of patient care experience as hands-on patient care hours. Everything else is healthcare experience. It's also important not to "double dip." You can enter your experience only once, but you can divide your experience hours from one job into both PCE and HCE.

For example, say you work at an interventional pain medicine clinic where you spend half your time at the front desk answering calls and the other half of your time as a patient care technician assisting in the surgery center. If you had 2000 hours of experience split equally, you would enter 1000 hours as HCE and the other 1000 hours as PCE. Problem solved!

"If one school accepts your experience as patient care experience, list it under patient care in CASPA. And the schools that don't count it as patient care let them make the decision to consider those healthcare hours so you don't jeopardize your chances at a program that does see them as direct patient care." - James Kim PA-S

Here is my healthcare experience prior to PA school

Two years working hands-on as an outpatient and inpatient phlebotomist and lab technician at the University of Washington Hospital as an undergraduate and one year part-time in the outpatient clinic.

Two years working for the Puget Sound Blood Center as a Senior Mobile Phlebotomist after graduation

Three months working with special needs youth through Seattle Parks and Recreation

One year working in medical records and shadowing with the PAs and doctors as a freshman at the UW (this is how I got my start in the hospital)

Many hours volunteering in patient transport and at Seattle Children's Hospital

Certification as and EMT (although I never worked as one so I guess this doesn't count, but it sounds good 🙂 )

Total hours: Upwards of 5,000 hands-on patient care hours + many as a volunteer

Take a minute (or thirty) to browse through the table and I will meet you again at the bottom for a heated discussion! (as well as the answer to the survey question above)

At least 50 of the 250 hours must be from direct shadowing of a licensed physician assistant. Here is the form for PA shadowing. Although this form does not need to be used exclusively, all prospective students will need to retain documentation. Documentation must be available for verification.

Competitive applicants are recommended (but not required) to have a minimum of six months full-time healthcare employment, or 1,000 total hours of hands-on patient care experience and/or community service in a healthcare setting. (see website)

If you found this table useful please share it with everyone you know :-). If you would like more info, updates from the blog and occasional free goodies please make sure to sign up for my email newsletter.

PA Program Experience Requirements by the Numbers

If you crunch the numbers, the table above reveals some very interesting facts:

Gardner Webb University PA Program Mission Statement The Gardner-Webb PA Program is deeply committed to developing within each student a strong foundation in the basic medical, clinical and psychosocial sciences. This provides our graduates with the…

Northeastern Statue University PA Program – Oklahoma Mission Statement The proposed Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program specifically addresses the mission and operational philosophy of the University by: (1) directly…

Ohio University PA Program Mission Statement The mission of the Ohio University Master of Physician Assistant Practice Program is to prepare students to be leaders in physician assistant practice in any clinical setting with a particular emphasis on…

Our Lady of the Lake College PA Program Mission Statement The purpose of the Physician Assistant (PA) program is to educate outstanding physician assistants who, together with physicians and allied health professionals, will provide quality…

Slippery Rock University PA Program Mission Statement SRU’s Physician Assistant Studies 24-month program is a combination of academic and clinical instruction, blended course delivery (onsite and online), team instruction, and collaborative…

South University PA Program (West Palm Beach) Mission Statement The South University Physician Assistant (MS) exists to educate a diverse student population as providers of high-quality, cost-efficient health care who will make a positive difference…

What constitutes healthcare experience (HCE)

As you can see from the table above, the acceptable experiential preparation requirements varies from school to school.

Most schools report accepting:

Paid experience with hands-on patient care

Volunteer experience with hands-on patient care

Shadowing a physician or physician assistant as acceptable HCE.

Many schools don't accept shadowing or volunteer hours as acceptable HCE so, as always, you must check the school website and contact the PA program directly if you have any questions whatsoever.

In the PAEA graphs and tables above you may have noticed that HCE was broken down into 6 general categories. This is because CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) has 6 experience categories for reporting work and volunteer activities and the PAEA report is based on CASPA applicants.

Again, some PA programs will not accept HCE outside of the patient care experience category, although many do.

CASPA Reporting Work and Volunteer Experiences Categories

For a wonderfully detailed look at how to report work and/or volunteer experience in each of these categories I recommend you check out Paul Gonzales' amazingly thorough explanation on his blog "Trust me, I'm a PA Student".

The six CASPA reporting categories are as follows:

1. Patient Care Experience

This is the most important section. List experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient’s care; for example: prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, working on patients as an active EMT, etc.

2. Other Health Care Experience

You are working in the health or a health-related field but are not directly responsible for a patient’s care; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patient rooms, working as a “Candy Striper” or hospital volunteer, etc.

3. Health Care Shadowing

Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at work.

4. Research

Research projects done in addition to classroom work; research should NOT appear as credit on a school transcript.

5. Community Service

Volunteer work done outside of the healthcare field; for example, working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring children, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk or blood drive, etc.

6. Other Work Experience

Paid work done outside of the healthcare field; for example a retail or restaurant job.

Let's look at what some of the PA schools themselves are recommending for HCE:

Yale Physician Assistant Program Definition

Competitive applicants are recommended (but not required) to have a minimum of six months full-time healthcare employment, or 1,000 total hours of hands-on patient care experience and/or community service in a healthcare setting. Preference is given to applicants having experience that requires a period of training and results in direct (hands-on) patient care.

Northeastern Physician Assistant Program Definition

Evidence of significant direct hands-on patient care experience is required in order for applicants to have a basic understanding of and comfort with patient care as well as a minimum level of clinical maturity. Strongest preference will be given to applicants who have approximately 2000 hours of hands-on patient care experience prior to applying to the program. Applicants with less than 2000 hours may also be given consideration depending upon the strength of their entire application.

Does PA Shadowing Count Towards Healthcare Experience?

Applicants are encouraged to "shadow" a PA to become knowledgeable of the role of the physician assistant; More often than not this experience does not count as patient care experience, so as I always say, make sure to contact your PA program prior to submitting your application.

My Healthcare Experience

When I applied to PA school back in 2004 I had roughly 5,000 hours of direct patient contact experience as well as quite a bit of work and volunteer experience both inside and outside the realm of healthcare. I accumulated this through work as a phlebotomist both as a student in the campus health clinic and then later after graduation while working in an outpatient mobile health setting.

Many schools at the time (specifically MEDEX and OHSU where I was hoping for acceptance) considered even this to be insufficient. I could have been patient and accrued more patient care experience and let more time pass but instead, I chose to throw a larger net and apply to schools that did not require so many hours. At the time many of these school were on the East Coast.

People write me all the time frustrated that their schools of choice won't give them the time of day. It is important to keep your options open, the wider the net you cast the greater your chances of catching a fish.

There are many ways to garner the patient care experience you need and the sooner you start the easier it will be to fulfill these requirements in a timely matter.

You should aim to have enough hours to be competitive, look at the median of accepted applicants, this is a good goal to have.

And most importantly it should not be seen as a burden to entry, it should be seen as an opportunity to get your hands wet in a field you love in preparation for a life of fulfilling work practicing what you love as a PA

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About Stephen Pasquini PA-C

A PA since 2004 and creator of The PA Life Website. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one of a kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all and foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Hi, I am thinking of getting a job at a medical spa as a laser tech and getting my esthetician license as well. Do you know if this would count towards PCE? I am really interested in dermatology and that is why I want to start out at a medical spa. Plesase help! I usually cant find information about working at a medical spa and if it would be wise to do so.

Hi Stephen,
I am a late bloomer in terms of finding out what I am supposed to do in this world. I have a degree in kinesiology/exercise science and am currently back in school to raise my GPA/finish needed pre-reqs. I am currently looking for a job as an exercise physiologist in a cardiac rehab clinic, but before I go full force into applying, I wanted to make sure that it would be acceptable according to your knowledge. Also, a little encouragement as I tend to get discouraged only figuring out what I am meant to do at 28 years old. At the earliest, I will be 31 starting a program…

Hi Natalie, I love your comment! In my class, we had three students over the age of 50 and several in their late 30’s and 40’s. You are still a spring chicken! When it comes to hands-on patient care experience every school has their own requirements. I would venture to say that most (if not all) will accept exercise physiologist as wonderful patient care experience but I would definitely do your homework as well and research some of the programs you are interested in and also contact them directly just so you can feel 100% confident moving forward. This in and of itself is empowering. Keep up the awesome work!

This is a great site that lists information about a career as a Physician Assistant. However, there is one key piece of information that is not listed here.

I recently graduated from Pharmacy School and I will be a practicing pharmacist soon after taking the Board Exams (NAPLEX and MPJE). There is little if any information regarding whether or not a pharmacist’s experience, regardless of practice setting, qualifies as direct patient care experience when applying to a Physician Assistant MS program. This obviously applies to experience as a licensed professional and not while on rotations during the final professional year (for most schools at least). I would like some information on how some Physician Assistant programs view pharmacists (not pharmacy technicians) as part of the experiential requirements (specifically Direct Patient Care and Healthcare Experience for DPC and HCE hours respectively); each school that I reviewed does not list “pharmacist” as part of this. The University of Tampa is listing a new “developing” physician assistant program where they will accept that experience, yet many more established schools do not.

This is a great site that lists information about a career as a Physician Assistant. However, there is one key piece of information that is not listed here.

I recently graduated from Pharmacy School and I will be a practicing pharmacist soon after taking the Board Exams (NAPLEX and MPJE). There is little if any information regarding whether or not a pharmacist’s experience, regardless of practice setting, qualifies as direct patient care experience when applying to a Physician Assistant MS program. This obviously applies to experience as a licensed professional and not while on rotations during the final professional year. I would like some information on how some Physician Assistant schools view pharmacists (not pharmacy technicians) as part of the experiential requirements as I am hearing conflicting information. The University of Tampa is listing a new PA school where they will accept that experience, yet many older schools do not.

First off, thank you so much for your helpful tips and providing your readers with so much useful information. So for hospice volunteering, there will be some sort of documentation, but it is still unpaid and not hands-on clinical experience. What is your recommendation for older non-trads who work in a non-healthcare setting?

Hi, I would recommend you reach out directly to some of the PA schools where you will be applying and ask them how they feel about your HCE hours. Not all schools require HCE hours and some will look very favorably (as they should) upon your background and experience in general so you may not need more hours. But some schools will require that you have paid hands-on experience. If you plan on applying to these schools you will have no choice but to find a job which will allow you to accumulate this type of experience. A lot will depend on where you are applying. Here is what schools have had to say on this topic: https://www.thepalife.com/patient-contact-hours/

Hello,
Thanks for your valuable note,
I’m a dentist and worked for about 10 years before coming to states , how can I prove my patient contact hours so they can accept it , though the log form will not be easy to obtain now.
Thanks in advance

Hi Rimon, there is no need to “prove” anything. This works on the honor system. But I encourage you to reach out to some of the programs on your list and make sure that your international work experience and reporting process meet the requirements.

Hi Mara, it depends on the school, some schools have a 5-year “statute of limitations,” some have ten, some have no expiration. Best to review the program websites of the schools you are applying to if it is unclear contact them directly. That being said you can always add the experience to your CASPA application. But you just want to make sure you meet each school’s requirements.

I was curious about this situation. I have an above average GRE, college research, 6 years firefighting, miscellaneous volunteer work, 4000 hours as a surgical laser tech, 2500 hours working in human subjects research (not directly hands on), shadowing hours, excellent letters of recommendation, and an atrocious GPA. Is it even worth applying in your opinion if the only schools I qualify for are the ones without GPA minimums? I went to school years ago, will it look terrible if I were to go back? Should I apply this cycle and then take feedback? I’m at a loss. Thanks for your time!

Hi Louise, the best thing you can do is go back and take some courses, bring up your GPA (as much as you can), and show the ADCOM’s you mean business and that you are now ready to tackle any challenge they throw your way!

Hi Amanda, this week I published a post in which admissions committee members responded to dozens of student questions regarding PCE hours. I am not sure if you had a chance to read this but there are answers regarding special needs care, assistant, patient care sitter, nurses aid, etc. etc. etc. Take a look through this and see if any of these situations fit yours: https://www.thepalife.com/patient-contact-hours/

The biggest take-home point from that post was that each school’s definition of accepted HCE and what exactly constitutes direct, hands-on, patient care varies by leaps and bounds and sometimes the only way to know for sure is to contact some of the schools in question. You can use this tool to narrow your schools down by HCE requirements and it includes links to all program websites where they publish their requirements: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/

I have around 4,000 hours working as a PT aide and just switched to a part time job as a pediatric scribe. While it is giving me amazing primary care experience and allowing me to practice my medical terminology, I’m wondering if I should instead get my CNA certification and work as a CNA or MA? I’m a 2nd round applicant with a not-so-great GPA, so getting amazing HCE/PCE is crucial. I have read for some programs PT Aide is not the best choice, and scribing is generally not accepted as PCE. Do you think it is worth my time to scribe, or should I pursue CNA/MA? Thank you!!

HI Carly, a lot of PA schools look highly upon Scribe work and I know two Pre-PAs who work in my clinic have gone from Scribe to PA school in the last year, so it certainly can be done. Two questions: 1. what GPA do you have and 2. how long would it take you to obtain your CNA or MA license? Also, one more, have you spoke with the office at the pediatric clinic where you work to see if there are other opportunities? Sometimes you can do other jobs as well at the clinic where you work. The scribes I mentioned earlier, also worked the front desk, laser tech, workers compensation coordinator, and medical assistant… all in the same office. We knew they were headed onto bigger things so we tried to assist them in having a well-rounded experience. You may have opportunities where you work already, so I would encourage you to ask.

Hi Yarra, it is certainly not about what will look best but about what you enjoy and what will allow you to complete your prerequisites in a timely and cost-efficient manner. I have known theater majors who went on to PA school. In fact in a world of a million biology majors maybe sometimes it pays to be different (so says the guy who is a biology major) 🙂

Thank you Stephen I really appreciate you replying to my post. I am interested in majoring in Biology but wanted to know what other options I have. I’m a freshman in college and hoping to apply to Wayne State’s PA program after I receive my bachelors. I was also wondering, What is the difference in a Bachelors of Arts in biological sciences and Bachelors of Science in biological sciences?

Probably has to do with the coursework within the degree program. I recommend picking up the phone and contacting somebody in admissions at Wayne State University. They will be able to give you the information you need and guide you correctly.

What is the best way to track the hours? For instance my daughter is a volunteer EMT with our fire and rescue department. She does 12 hour shifts at a time, but not every minute of that is direct patient care, like report writing and just waiting to go on a call.

Hi Jennifer, I would suggest she speak with one of her volunteer supervisors. Create a log sheet to track direct patient care hours and have them sign off on it so that it is “official.” It is also possible that they have a system set up.

Stephen, I have been working as a MA, in an administrative role since Jan. I am applying this august with 800 hours. I work in the kidney transplant office, and my patients are all pre-kidney and they are on the ‘evaluation’ list. I schedule all of their cardiac testing, follow up with them, send out their referrals but, most of my work is over the phone. I do not have f:f contact when they come into the office to see the docs. My title is Medical Assistant, I enter in encounters, daily, alert the doc’s with abnormal test results and talk with patients over the phone. Is this good HCE? I was thinking I may need to get get a CNA license…. what is your take on this? The school I am applying to, UNE, says MA is HCE but, I don’t ‘SEE’ the patients…just talk over the phone…thank you, Keri

There are currently 5 programs that provide a BS upon graduation but that is being phased out. Even those probably require a BS/BA prior to application unless there are special circumstances. But honestly, I would only apply with the goal of getting your MS at this point in time.

Here are the 5 schools as of this writing:

Pennsylvania College of Technology Pennsylvania
SUNY Downstate Medical Center New York
Touro College (Bay Shore) New York
Touro College (Manhattan) New York
University of Washington Washington

I was wondering how I would be able to get hands on HCE if I go to school in a town that I don’t live in. I live on campus for the school year but go home during the breaks. Therefore I don’t believe that getting a job such as a phlebotomist or EMT would be beneficial due to me having to leave for the breaks. Any suggestions?

Check with your school to see if they have opportunities available on campus (if you have a health center or hospital connected with your campus). This is what I did. Outside of this, there are many institutions that will accept student schedules and work with your specific needs. I never had trouble finding part time work or volunteer opportunities both during the summers and during the school year. I was working nearly for free anyway, so it was a good deal for the employer and they were always happy to create a schedule that worked well for everyone. There are lots of summer programs both at home and abroad. And honestly, the best time is the year or two after you graduate. This is when you can go full time and collect 2000 hours + and really pad your resume.

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I am very happy with your service and would highly recommend it to any PA applicant. Duke helped me to put my thoughts in order and to make significant changes. My personal statement sounds great and seems easy and interesting to read now. He took a lot of time to explain his way of thinking and to understand what I am trying to say. Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate what you are doing for others.

Olga N. Pre-PA

Sue was a huge help with my essay. Her edits made my essay sound much better grammatically and she pointed out some content problems I completely missed. She prompted me to write a few more paragraphs before her edit and added the information into my essay. That made a big difference. She was very knowledgable about what PA programs were looking for. I am really happy with your service. Worth every penny, THANKS!

Megan Stephenson, Pre-PA

I wanted to let you know how this application season was going for me so far.

I’ve had two interviews, still have at least three more scheduled, and I received my first acceptance last week.

Thank you again for your help!

Nancy Peterson, Pre-PA

Duke helped me with my essay and he was great! He really helped me fine tune my essay so it’s ready for submission and answered all of the question I had about small details in my essay. He was also great about responding to emails in a timely manner. I definitely recommend this personal statement review service to anyone who’s applying to PA school…even if it’s just as a final read-through before submitting it on their application.

Tyler J. Pre-PA

Carly did a great job helping my personal statement flow from paragraph to paragraph. She truly helped me show throughout the essay why I wanted to become a PA. What I really appreciated was she explained why each change was made; comments and reasons which not only helped with this one time essay but for all my future essays as well. Definitely was worth it!

Kathleen, Pre-PA

I am not sure if you remembered me, but you helped me exactly a year ago with my PA essay. Well, I got accepted into Barry’s PA program! I start this Monday. You were part of my journey and I wanted to say THANK YOU!

Catalina Bulla, PA-S

I absolutely love the way my essay sounds! I truly appreciate all of your help. I will definitely recommend prospective PA students your way! It’s been a pleasure.

Natalie, Pre-PA

I am very pleased with the services provided! I received an email almost immediately upon submitting my essay for review, and within 24 hours my essay review was completed. I would definitely recommend this service to any PA school applicant before they submit their essay to CASPA! Thank you for your help!

Hannah Watson, Pre-PA

I wanted to reach out and thank you for your help with my personal statement. I received compliments about my essay at every interview I had. I also wanted to let you know that I will be attending Duke’s PA Program – my top choice. Your help was amazing! Thank you so much again!

Kelli Tseng, PA-S

Duke helped me write a great personal statement. I won’t know if I’ve been accepted to the program until Christmas/New Year’s, but I feel that it was worth every penny!

Alicia C. Pre-PA

I’ve been telling everybody that I come into contact with about the incredible value of your service and that I directly attribute your editing as a reason I got into two schools this academic cycle and received 8 invitations to interview. All the best! Read more at http://www.thepaessay.com

I am so happy to have gone through this editing process! I did not think you would take so much time to not only give me great feedback but also to edit and revise my paper like you did. I am so happy with my new revised paper and will definitely tell my friends!

Eric, Pre-PA

Just wanted to let you know I got into UC Davis! I can not thank you enough for all your help!

Rachael Thomas, PA-S

Carly was excellent! Not only did she make my essay much more compelling, but she understood the deadlines I wanted to reach and helped me do that! 10/10!!

Jesse Cordova, Pre-PA

I was extremely stressed out about writing my personal statement, and finally decided to search the internet for advice and assistance. I came across the personal statement editing service on the PA Life, and decided to give it a try. I received a response within a day, and my stress was instantly relieved. I worked personally with Duke to edit my statement, and he is a phenomenal writer. He didn’t change the content of my statement, but rather helped me tell my story in a way that is much more desirable! I cannot recommend this service enough to others seeking help on their personal statement. Duke was friendly, sincere, and definitely experienced! I felt 100% confident in his editing abilities, and we worked together the entire time so that we were both pleased with the results! Thanks again, Duke, for all of your help!

Chelsie W. Pre-PA

I greatly appreciate the help because it answered questions and doubts I had about my personal statement. I feel much more confident in submitting to CASPA. Thank you very much, Sue!

Sarah, Pre-PA

Really helpful! Makes me feel confident.

Qui T. Pre-PA

The service provided was excellent. I really appreciate Duke taking the time and reviewing my essay multiple times and at that same time, making sure I am comfortable with the wording. Thank you for all your help!

Foram Patel, Pre-PA

This was my third time applying to PA school and I wanted it to be my last so I figured getting help with the essay would make a difference in my application. Paying for the one on one service was the best idea I’ve had to date. Sarah was great in that she literally combined three different essays I had written into one phenomenal essay! I literally have no idea how she did it. Sarah helped me focus all of my thoughts and experience down into one concise, yet personal essay. I truly think this will help me get into PA school!

Duke was so kind and helpful in helping me understand what admissions committees look for in a strong essay. Our phone conversations were so thorough, as we read through and discussed every word in my essay. Sue’s guidance helped me cut out the fluff to reach the character limit.

Melissa T. Pre-PA

I want to say thank you, first off for providing such a service. It was difficult having to write a personal statement and then have others critique it, when there is not a clear rubric to follow. I think having to write a personal statement is such an emotional process, and then having others edit it, can be a very harsh pill to swallow. Thank you for your edits, I have no doubt that this process will make my personal statement more compelling and hopefully a more competitive applicant.

Stephanie, Pre-PA

Duke really pushed me to write from the heart and explore my true reasons for applying to PA school. I was very pleased with the outcome. I haven’t yet received an interview, but my fingers are crossed!

Emily P. Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Patrick, Pre-PA

We worked on my essays back in summer and oh, how much work it was! But it all paid off because I just got accepted into the school of my first choice! Thank you so much for your time and dedication to my success. I will also be glad to recommend your services to other pre-PA students at my school!

Jennifer, H Pre-PA

Even at the busiest time of the year for applications, they got me my edit in a matter of days. They did a great job with grammar, punctuation and suggestions. I am very satisfied with the draft I got back from Sue.

Andrew, Pre-PA

Very prompt response and turnaround time. While I did not speak with Duke over the phone, his team’s edits were thorough, clear and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Dave H. Pre-PA

I thought that the service was very helpful in helping me with my personal statement. Duke was always prompt with responding to emails and made himself very available throughout the process. He was also good and helping, but also making sure that I was the one doing the writing. I think that the structure of the service helped me put in enough time to come out with a very good finished product.

David H. Pre-PA

Really great service, definitely worth the money! I am very pleased with the amount of work that went into editing my paper and giving reasons as to why sentences or paragraphs were changed around. Carly did an amazing job!

Christina, Pre-PA

I really appreciated Duke and his way of cutting out the unnecessary fluff in my essay. He was extremely helpful and helped steer me in the right direction to better my writing and make me a more competitive applicant. I am currently still applying to programs and will notify you guys once I get an invitation!

Ani S. Pre-PA

Sarah did such an excellent job editing my personal statement that I wanted her expertise for my supplemental essays. I’ve had multiple interview invites so far. I’m so glad I used this service, and I’m so glad I had Sarah’s help! She really took my essays to a whole new level and had good suggestions. I’m recommending her to my peers.

Emily Crenshaw, Pre-PA

I was so glad that I chose to have Duke look over my essay, he turned it from long, rambling, and scattered to a much more concise, well written essay. I really feel as though it represents me well! Duke always responded quickly and I felt as though I got a lot of value for the money. Thank you!

Jennifer B. Pre-PA

Awesome service. Duke did a great job editing my personal statement – his feedback was top-notch. For the 2014-2015 cycle, I applied to one school. I was selected for an interview and yesterday I received an offer of admission … which I quickly accepted. I know my Personal Statement played a huge role in my success. I highly recommend this service.

Nikki, Pre-PA

Thank you so much for helping me with my physician assistant program application essays and interview! I am so excited to let you know that I received multiple PA school acceptances and have decided that I will be attending Cornell University’s PA Program in New York City. The program begins in February 2019 and I cannot wait to begin! I truly appreciate all your help and encouragement throughout my PA application process.

Christine Chen, PA-S

I am mind-blown by my editor Carly’s work. My original essay is like an ill-fitting suit. She hemmed and adjusted it in all the right places and now it looks perfect. I don’t think I’m a bad writer, but I don’t write often and I have spent the past 10 years of my life focused on health sciences. I may have never been able to do this on my own. Thank you thank you, I consider this essay service a bargain.

Rebecca, Pre-PA

I worked with Duke to edit and complete my essay. It was a terrific experience that I would recommend to everyone! Duke has an amazing ability to help you move things around and change it a little, while still making it feel like 100% your own work. We talked out every change we made, and we both conceded to each other in different places. He made extra time for me when I got stressed out about the deadline, and worked with me for a while each time we sat down. I paid $199 for this service, and I think that was the best bargain I ever got! I have been invited back to submit supplemental applications to some schools, and I will keep the team updated about my interviews. Thanks Duke!!!

Carly Bransky, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know that I was accepted into PA school. I start at Albany Medical College in January! Thank you again for doing such an amazing job helping me with my essay…I think in the end it really carried my application.

Lindsey Porubcan PA-S

I got into my first choice program University of Southern California (USC)!!!! Thank you so much for your help this cycle. I’m forever grateful.

Lanisha Cole, PA-S

Sarah Morris Schultz was my PA statement editor and she was absolutely fabulous! She helped to shave my original 4-page long, winding PA statement down to a 2 page impactful, poignant, moving statement that lead me to get accepted to a Doctor of Medical Science program in Physician Assistant Studies. She has such a gift for writing and knowing how to say things in just the right way and use the right words! One of the DMS PA program committee members started off my video conference online interview by stating that my PA statement was the best he ever read, not “one of the best” but THE BEST statement. My heart leapt. My PA statement years ago had caused me NOT to get accepted to the school that I had hoped. I did get accepted to a good PA school, got my degree, and started practicing in this field that I love. However, this time I decided to humble myself and get help writing a good statement. Praise God, it paid off. I am so grateful for the PA Life service and fee for the one-on-one service is worth every penny! I recommend everyone get Sarah Morris Schultz. She’s the bomb.com! I love you, Sarah 🙂

Sonja D. PA-S

Just found your site today while trying to update my resume. Also, I have to recertify next year so your tests are great for a refresher course. I was in a specialty area of medicine so I now realize how much I forgot in the past 5 years. Thank you very much and I will pass on to other PAs.

Pattie Solomon PA-CNorTh Miami Florida

I was very pleased with this service. Writing has never been my strongest area. While I had the ideas that I wanted to convey I wasn’t able to articulate them as well as I’d hoped. Carly provided comments and suggestions without altering my central thesis. Any questions that I had were answered quickly and thoroughly. Any grammatical mistakes were also addressed which put my mind at ease. I would recommend The PA Life personal statement essay revision service to anyone applying.

Keith G, Pre-PA

I wanted to give you an update and thank you. I just received my first acceptance and at the interview, they commented on how well written my personal statement was. I appreciate your hard work and working with me to create such an awesome piece! Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we talk- maybe our paths will cross again one day!

Janne Kim, Pre-PA

Sue Edmondson was instrumental to my understanding of the entrance essay I was trying to write as well as very honest and positive. I loved her writing technique and her instructive points were very easy to understand. Most definitely will recommend as well as keep her in my contacts for possible future essay revision/help. Thank you.

Vladimira, Pre-PA

Duke made some important modifications to my essay and offered several helpful suggestions. I appreciated his insight and a keen eye.

Ilina K. Pre-PA

I have recently been accepted to a program that was one of my top choices, and I also was waitlisted with two other schools. I wanted to thank you again for all your help Duke. Not only am I grateful for your knowledge of writing and grammar (which were invaluable), but most importantly your kind word and motivation, which I needed so much at the time. You’re a great person!

Alex Taylor, PA-S

Sue was amazing! She was very quick at replying to my emails and looking over my paper and application. She was so helpful and has a way with words. I know I will continue to use her services throughout my application process!

Miranda, Pre-PA

Sarah is absolutely amazing and really helped transform my essay into the best version it could have possibly been!

Shannon B. Pre-PA

You probably don’t remember me, but about a year ago you helped edit my personal statement to get into PA school! I just wanted to let you know that I got interviews and was accepted to all the schools I applied to! I have decided to attend UAB in the fall! Thank you again for all your help!

Lauren Smith, PA-S

This is just a great service overall, because not only is it an editing service, it is specific to the PA personal statement. Sue did a wonderful job editing my essay, and pointed out important flaws in it that I otherwise might not have noticed. Her edits highlighted the main points that I was trying to get across in a much better way than I had originally written. Overall, very satisfied with the results, and will have to keep you updated about the interviews. Thanks so much!

Sabrina L. Pre-PA

Susan did a fantastic job of editing my essay! She guided me and gave me suggestions for strengthening certain sections and equally took out weak parts. After I followed her recommendations, I really felt like I had an essay where every sentence mattered and reflected who I was. Thank you so much Susan for your help. I feel that I have a stronger essay because of your honest feedback and your help!

Amanda, Pre-PA

Sue was great! She edited my essay in a short time frame and the comments and feedback were very informative. She helped link all of my main ideas and gave great advice regarding appropriate information for the essay. I highly recommend this service.

Michelle, Pre-PA

Sue did an exemplary job at editing my personal statement. Her service was particularly useful once my essay was ready for fine polishing and trimming down – she really pulled the fat off leaving the meat of my personal statement remaining. I would recommend this service to others.

Sarah, Pre-PA

Carly was incredible! Her prompt edits were extremely helpful, and I will definitely provide updates on the status of my application later down the line!

Audrey, PRE-PA

I worked closely with Duke and Sue for the revisions on my personal statement. They must have edited my original version half a dozen times before they felt it was good enough to send off and never made it seem like an inconvenience. They always responded to my e-mails within a 24-hour time frame but usually got back to me within a few hours. I am very pleased with how my personal statement turned out thanks to all of their time, ideas and direction. The service the PA Life provides is well worth the money spent!

Michelle Murphy, PA-S

Thank you so much for your assistance with perfecting my personal statement. This service is truly helpful. They were able to easily edit and help to convey exactly what was in my heart onto paper. I was accepted to my first choice PA program this week!!

Vincent, PA-S

Sue was great to work with. Very prompt in responding to my submission. Asked good questions and incorporated my responses into my essay nicely. I appreciate the work.

Mary Peterson, Pre-PA

Mr. Pasquini was very patient, accommodating and direct in his editing/advice. He was honest, in a way that I needed due to the importance of the letter. I even picked up a few tips to enhance my writing from our meetings. Great experience and will definitely recommend him to others!

Alana P. Pre-PA

I am so happy I used your service. It really took all of my frustrations and anxiety about my personal statement away. I am really happy with the final product. While Maura did a great job with editing my grammar and making my essay sound better overall in my first edit, Sue did an amazing job turning my essay into a story that flows in my final edit.

Marissa Pre-PA

Sarah was fantastic to work with. She is excellent at her crafted skill and can help any thought or sentence come to life, fast!

Jessica D. PRE-PA

I have used The PA Life services throughout my application process this year and I am 100% satisfied! Sarah helped me with my personal statement and mock interviewing. As a second time applicant, she really helped me strengthen my statement to convey my story of why I wanted to be a PA. I felt very confident in submitting my statement thanks to her review and was later invited for my first interview! The mock interview service was EXTREMELY helpful. Sarah provided excellent feedback during our session on how I could better rephrase my responses to make them stronger, but still, sound natural and true to myself. The session eased a lot of the interview nerves I had that come interview day I felt pretty confident. I’m proud to say that after my first interview, I was accepted! Thank you, Sarah, for all of your help throughout my PA journey!

Amanda B, Pre-PA

Sue Edmondson was VERY thorough in her editing of my essay, as well as the promptness of her responses to me. She not only took the time to edit the grammar of my essay but helped me remove a large portion of it to focus on the important aspects of it and draw in more details. Overall, a fantastic service!

Megan Hunstad, Pre-PA

I LOVED the suggestions Carly made for my essay. Not only was she thorough with her edits, but she also provided a lot of quality feedback that really made my essay shine. Carly took my unedited, messy essay and helped me better convey what I was trying to say. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience and feel this service was worth every penny.

Rachel, Pre-PA

Sue is so incredibly kind! I needed so much help on cleaning up my personal statement and overall flow of the writing. She provided great insights and explanation.

Laila, Pre-PA

Hi Ms. Edmondson,

I hope this email finds you well. I would like to thank you for your help with my PA school personal statement. I’m glad to share that I did get into my top choice – Drexel!

Ashley, Pre-PA

I just wanted to let you know I was accepted to Mercy College’s PA Program last night! To say I’m ecstatic is an understatement! I wanted to thank you once again for all of your help with my essays and my interview. You helped me so much with everything and I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you for everything.

Anna Mantikas, PA-S

Duke helped me with my personal essay writing for PA school. He was very patient and helpful with me. I made lots of mistake on my Essay, but with Duke’s help I was able to write a sensible essay which was good enough to get Interview calls. I highly recommend his service.

Rajni M, Pre PA

Just wanted to drop you a quick line to let you know that I got accepted to UC Davis, and have accepted their offer. I can’t thank you enough for your help through this process. I owe much credit to you and your amazing editing skills in helping me get in. With endless appreciation!

Jolene Duthie

I owe you a lot! Thank you so much for helping me in this important process. God bless you.

Catalina, Pre-PA

AMAZING EDITS. Really opened my eyes to a new perspective of what a personal statement should really be like!

Jasmine, Pre-PA

Wanted to let you know how this application season was going for me so far.

I’ve had two interviews, still have at least three more scheduled, and I received my first acceptance last week.

Thank you again for your help!

M.S, Pre-PA

I’m not sure if you remember me but you helped me a couple of months ago on my PA personal statement. Just wanted to let you know — I got accepted into University of Pacific’s PA program! I’m overjoyed!

Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement! I really appreciate it.

Jennifer MurphyPRE-PA

Lisa Tepper reviewed my personal statement and her edits were incredibly helpful. By asking me many specific questions and responding to my answers, she helped me add much-needed context to my personal stories that I didn’t even realize was missing. And she made a few subtle suggestions in my conclusion that really tied the essay altogether. I am very pleased with how my essay turned out and it is such a relief to turn in a statement that I am proud of.Thank you so much.

Kaitlin Emmerling, Pre-PA

Sue did an excellent job. Despite my sending a request just in time for a holiday, not only did she meet my deadline-she was early. She asked questions beyond the provided text, in an effort to gain deeper insight into me as a person. Her positive attitude and professional review help to ease my stressful anticipation. I am happy I sought her service! (Thanks, Sue)

Angela, Pre-PA

I am writing this because I wanted to share with you that I have been accepted to the University of Iowa PA program. I would like to once again thank you for your insight and guidance while writing my personal statement, it came at just the right time.

Eugene V.PA-S

Very helpful. I needed help figuring out what to cut and Sue was great at showing me what could go without sacrificing what I was trying to convey.

Dave, Pre-PA

Your services have eased the stress and anxiety that results from guessing whether or not your essay contains the content that many PA programs are looking for. Your services were prompt and genuine. It is clear that you have the applicant’s success at heart. Thank you!